Update on the Leopold Charrette
Todd has sent us an update on the greenway charrette he’s organizing at Leopold Bros. (We had to look up “charrette.” It’s apparently some kind of planning workshop with a lot of people.)
I’m happy to report that Rene Greff has accepted my offer to give the DDA presentation at Leopold Bros.
I spoke with Joe O’Neal just this past Friday, and he’s pretty sure that he can give a presentation on his vision of the greenway. He will let me now for certain on Tuesday. On a personal note, he was a very, very nice man who speaks with an authoritative wisdom that I found really appealing. His vision for the greenway is a long term vision (30+ years), and I have to openly admit that I really liked what he told me in about 5 minutes of conversation. Private funding. Parks in unbuildable floodplains. Flexibility on his part. Pretty cool. I think that his presentation will be great, and I look forward to hearing it. His only issue was that the charrette “not turn into a shouting match”. I couldn’t agree more. That wouldn’t be tolerated. Not in my house.
Ms. Wong of Friends of the Greenway has declined my offer. I have to admit that I am dissapointed.
I sent my email request to the Sierra Club’s Chairman Mike Sklar, and have not received a response. I am hoping that the problem is that he hasn’t seen the email somehow. If anyone is a member of the Sierra Club, please get a hold of your executive committee to ensure that they have received my invitation. It would be criminal, in my opinion, if the Sierra Club either didn’t receive my invitation, or declined to attend this event. Please help me out if you can. Thanks. You can reach me at brewer@leopoldbros.com
The response that I have received from both the City Council and the Planning Commission has been overwhelmingly positive. Easthope, in particular, expressed his support for the charrette. Two council members will be in attendance if time permits them, and Ms. Hall told me that it is likely that most of the Planning Staff will come too. I have recieved interest from professors from the Environmental Engineering school, as well as the CEMP program. I think that this is going to be a SRO gig.
When Mr. O’Neal gets back to me, we will set a date, and I will post it here at AAIO.
I was just at the Sierra Club site. (I’m curious about what all the fuss is about now.) It suggests an alternative approach that would apease consevatinists and developers.
The current downtown is only 3 blocks wide, north to south. If the City were to raze the Old Fourth Ward, developers could expand the current downtown out to the Huron River. Development could also begin at the old Broadway Kroger and move south to the river. Voila. Central greenway AND development.
Also, the new buildings should be at least as large as the University buildings that ring the Diag.
posted by A Different Jon on March 28th, 2005 at 7:38 amI sense a certain pygmalification of AAiO - Is this O’Neal character your Henry Higgins, AAiO? Will you soon be singing “The rain in Ann Arbor stays mainly in the floodplain”?
I jest - I think this is a great idea, especially since I learned a new word. I’ll be there, although I admit that I’ll regret not having the opportunity to listen to more of Margaret Wong’s happy-world reveries. Thank you Todd and AAiO for organizing what promises to be an extremely fruitful discussion.
posted by Dr.Mandrake on March 28th, 2005 at 8:48 amHere’s an essay that appeared in the Ann Arbor News.
This guy simply hit it right out of the park.
http://www.mlive.com/columns/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1111921965310510.xml
posted by todd on March 28th, 2005 at 10:25 amJoe O’Neal is an excellent guy.
posted by OFWinsurgent on March 28th, 2005 at 12:58 pmEr .. So, when is this happening, again?
posted by Ben on March 28th, 2005 at 8:16 pmOh wait. Sorry. Ignore the last comment.
posted by Ben on March 28th, 2005 at 8:17 pmtodd - I agree thatd’anieri summarized the issue perfectly. Thank God that came out in the a2 news finally.
posted by dan f on March 29th, 2005 at 12:18 amYeah Dan, I agree.
I am sorry that you were actually booed at the council meeting. Lame.
Your statements were terrific. How did you get involved in these issues, if you don’t mind me asking?
posted by todd on March 29th, 2005 at 8:32 amIn 1992, I peed on my poo. In 1993, I pooed on my pee! Think about that ANN ARBOR!
posted by Rico Starr on March 30th, 2005 at 9:12 amTodd,
Have you contacted anyone from the Washtenaw County Greenway Advisoy Committee? They could provide an interesting regional perspective to any and all greenway isssues. Might be a nice change of pace to the Ann Arbor specific minutiae.
posted by KBlow on March 30th, 2005 at 9:39 pm